Spring-fork.



A. E. PETERSON.

SPRING FORK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 411915- Q7; Patented Apr. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lgwuc 11101 THE coLumnlA I'LANOGRAPH co., \vAsmNn'roN, n. c.

A. E. PETERSON.

SPRING FORK.

APPLICATION ElLED JUNE 4, 1915.

L1 @Qmm Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- State of Minnesota,

ALFRED E. PETERSON, OF ST.

PAUL, MINNESOTA.

SPRING-FORK.

ilJldtLtWtl.

Application filed June 4, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. PnTERsoN, a subject of the King of Sweden residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Forks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention is an improved spring fork for wheeled vehicles, such for instance as motorcycles, bicycles and the like, the object of the invention being to provide a spring fork which will yield to obstructlons in the roadway with a minimum of lift or jar of the frame of the machine and hence greatly promotes the comfort of the rider.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :F1gure l is a side elevation of a spring fork constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of the axle of the fork. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View on the plane indicated by the line 0-0; of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar View on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail front elevation of one of the links which connect the springs to the rockers. Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the lower portion of one of the fork arms. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction 1ndicated by the arrow.

to The fork arms 1 are tubular and are preferably elliptical in cross section and are provided with interior reinforcing webs 2 as shown in detail in Fig. 4. The lower end of each fork arm is turned forwardly 5 as at 3 and provided with an opening for the reception of a pivotal bolt 4. Each pivotal bolt has a key 5 fitted in a key notch in the fork arm and is provided with a clamping nut 6 which bears on the outer side of 0 the end 3. Each bolt has a head 7 at its inner end and also has a loose washer 8 spaced from the head and which bears against the inner side of the end 8. Rockers 9 are pivotally mounted at points substan- S tlally midway between their ends on the pivotal bolts 4 and between the heads 7 and Specification of Letters leatent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Serial No. 32,126.

washers 8 as shown. The rockers have bearing openings 10 at their lower ends for the front axle of the wheel or vehicle.

The crown 11 to which the upper ends of the fork arms 1 are secured is provided at its ends with forwardly extending lugs 12, each lug having an opening 13 through which extends a truss rod 14. Said truss rods are brazed or otherwise suitably secured to the crown lugs and have their upper ends connected together as at 15. The lower ends of the truss rods are recessed on their rear sides as at 16 and arranged across the front ends of clamp blocks 17 and brazed to said clamp blocks. Each clamp block has an opening 19 near its rear end through which one of the fork arms 1 passes, and also has an opening 20 near its front end for the reception of the upper ends of the leaves of a spring 21. Bolts 18 pass through openings in the heads of the springs and also through openings near the lower ends of the truss rods and serve to securely hold the upper ends of the springs in the openings 20 of the clamp block. Each clamp block is also provided with a screw 22 which is adjustable and presses on the spring when the screw is tightened.

he lower end of each spring has an eye 22 for the reception of a pivotal bolt 23 which connects the lower ends of a pair of links 24. The upper ends of said links are pivotally connected to and arranged on opposite sides of the upper ends of the rockers 9 by means of bolts 25, the upper ends of said rockers being turned rearwardly as at 26. Hence the lower ends of the springs are connected by the links to the upper ends of the rockers so that shocks are communicated to the springs by the rockers which turn angularly in vertical planes on the pivot bolts 4, the shocks being absorbed by the springs and hence the machine or vehicle is caused to ride easily.

The stem 27 of the fork is provided with interiorly arranged reinforcing webs 28. The crown is provided with reinforcing sleeves 29 at the upper ends of the fork arms 1, and which serve to greatly strengthen the construction of the fork.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. A fork of the class described having spaced arms, a crown to which the upper ends of the arms are connected, a stem having its lower end attached to the center of the crown, blocks secured to'the arms and projecting forwardly therefrom, springs having their upper ends attached. to the blocks, truss rods having their lower ends attached to the blocks, their intermediate portion secured to the crown and their upper ends united, rockers, pivotally mounted, at points intermediate their ends, at the lower ends of the fork arms, and provided at their lower ends with bearings for a front wheel axle, links pivotally connected to the upper ends of the rockers and also pivotally connected to the lower ends of the springs.

2. In combination with the arms of a fork of the class described, rockers pivotally mounted, at points intermediate their ends at the lower ends of the fork arms and provided at their lower ends with bearings for the axle of a front wheel, clamp blocks secured to and projecting forwardly from the fork arms, springs having their upper ends attached to the clamp blocks and links connecting the lower ends of the springs to the upper ends of the rockers and truss rods attached to the clamp blocks.

3. A fork of the class described having spaced arms, rockers pivotally mounted at the lower ends of the arms and arranged for carrying the aXle or front wheel, clamp blocks secured to the fork arms and projecting forwardly therefrom and each provided with a vertical opening near its front side, leaf springs having their upper ends arranged in said openings and having their lower ends connected to the rockers, truss ALFRED E. PETERSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK O. PETERSON, P. A. P. SMITH.

copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

